Retractable headrests suitable for use with chairs, sofas, and other seating units are known. Such headrests are generally movable from a retracted position to an extended position atop the upper edge of the backrest of the seating unit. The prior art discloses a headrest that retracts to a position within the backrest of a chair, see, e.g., Bontempi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,293, a headrest that folds within a cavity in the rear surface of the backrest, see, e.g., Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,125, and a headrest which overlies the upper edge of the backrest, see, e.g., Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,961.
A headrest which overlies the backrest (a "horizontal" headrest) has some distinct advantages over other known headrest types. The backrest profile can be relatively thin, as the backrest is not required to house the entire thickness of the headrest within its profile when retracted. The back surface of the chair can be placed immediately adjacent the wall without the wall interfering with the operation of the backrest. The headrest can be visually integrated with the backrest through a single piece of upholstery fabric without the unsightly seam or gap inherently present in headrests retracting within the backrest. Finally, when extended, the horizontal headrest has no exposed linkage members visible from the front of the chair to detract from the appearance of the chair.
While the advantages of the horizontal headrest are many, horizontal headrests have certain shortcomings. One deficiency is the low height of the extended headrest. Certain furniture styles require a low backrest height for seating units. The prior art fails to disclose a horizontal headrest which extends sufficiently above the backrest to compensate for the lower backrest height. The problem is compounded in that, from a practical sense, the headrest height is limited to the thickness of the upper edge of the backrest; otherwise, the appearance of the chair is adversely affected. The same modern furniture styles that call for low backrest height also commonly call for relatively thin backrests. A second related deficiency is the unsightly "blousing" of upholstery covering the backrest and headrest when the headrest is in the extended position. A single piece of upholstery fabric covering the headrest and backrest reaches from an attachment point on the back edge of the headrest to some attachment point on the front side of the backrest, and is most likely fixed at the lowest front edge of the backrest. In horizontal headrests disclosed in the prior art, the length of upholstery cloth required to reach between these attachment points is greater when the headrest is in the retracted position than when it is in the extended position. Consequently, the upholstery material is not taut in the extended position and "blouses" along the upper edge of the backrest. This bloused material is unsightly and bothersome to the occupant.
The prior art fails to show a horizontal headrest which satisfactorily suggests how to extend headrest height or prevent upholstery blousing. Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a horizontal headrest that extends to a greater height than that previously seen. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a horizontal headrest which extends to a height sufficient to maintain upholstery covering the headrest and the backrest in a taut condition.